r into the tumult and vanity of
their life something new, his own--to tell them certain loud firm words,
to guide them all into one direction, and not one against another.
He desired to seize them by their heads, to tear them apart one from
another, to thrash some, to fondle others, to reproach them all, to
illumine them with a certain fire.

There was nothing in him, neither the necessary words, nor the fire;
all he had was the longing which was clear to him, but impossible of
fulfillment. He pictured himself above life outside of the deep valley,
wherein people were bustling about; he saw himself standing firmly on
his feet and--speechless. He might have cried to the people:

"See how you live! Aren't you ashamed?"

And he might have abused them. But if they were to ask on hearing his
voice:

"And how ought we to live?"

It was perfectly clear to him that after such a question he would have
to fly down head foremost from the heights there, beneath the feet of
the throng, upon the millstone. And laughter would accompany him to his
destruction.

Sometimes he was delirious under the pressure of this nightmare. Certain
meaningless and unconnected words burst from his lips; he even perspired
from this painful struggle within him. At times it occurred to him that
he was going mad from intoxication, and that that was the reason why
this terrible and gloomy picture was forcing itself into his mind. With
a great effort of will he brushed aside these pictures and excitements;
but as soon as he was alone and not very drunk, he was again seized by
his delirium and again grew faint under its weight. And his thirst for
freedom was growing more and more intense, torturing him by its force.
But tear himself away from the shackles of his wealth he could not.
Mayakin, who had Foma's full power of attorney to manage his affairs,
acted now in such a way that Foma was bound to feel almost every day the
burden of the obligations which rested upon him. People were
constantly applying to him for payments, proposing to him terms for the
transportation of freight. His employees overwhelmed him in person and
by letter with trifles with which he had never before concerned himself,
as they used to settle these trifles at their own risk. They looked for
him and found him in the taverns, questioned him as to what and how
it should be done; he would tell them sometimes without at all
understanding in what way this or that should be done. He n